The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-03
COL. SMITHS WEDDING TRIP.
Or, Rattle, That to = ouisville as Mr..
Ovingtons Best Man.

From the NeU York World.
Ovington & Brothers is big firm in Full
ton street, Brooklyn, which deals in china
ware and the like Mr.. Edward j. Owing
ton, the senior member, is man of over W
years of age. A month or so ago he was
married to a Miss Georgia Maize, of Louis
vile, KY, an extremely pretty girl of about
IS. 1t is said that the final steps of the
courtShip were entirely by cable. Mr..
Nathan Appleton, the we'll known fdneW
of Boston, was married the other day to a
daughter of Mr. Ovington.
Mr.. Nicholas Smith, said to be the hand
soonest man in the United States, and who
married the eldest daughter Of Horace
Greeley, was Mr. Ovington's best man at
the Louisville ceremony. Divers rumors
have been floating about in Louisville ana
Brooklyn society since that Col. Smith had
asked Mr. Ovington to repay him for his eX-
penses in going out to Louisville, and had
been in q measure refused. Col. smith, at
the Astor House last night, gave to a
World reporter the full text OF the CORE
spondence that had passed between Mr..
Ovington and himself on the subject. The
"Mrs. F. in the letters is Mrs Faulds, wife
of rich, and prominent merchant IN
Louisville. 1t was among the rumors IN
that city that Mrs. Faulds, who is great
adrnrer of Col Smith, told Miss Maze
that Mr.. Ovington wished Col Smith, as
best man, and then telegraph Mr.. Owing
ton that Miss Maize wished Col. Smith to he
best man. So it was arranged.
Col. Smith said. Yes, did go to Louis =
VILE to wait upon Mr. Ovington at his nup-
tials. | had met him a year before while
on a visit to Louisville and attended re-
ception with him, where he met his present
wife. About six months ago was again IN
Louisville, and was informed by the TREND
with whom we had attended the reception
that he had just cabled from Paris an offer
of marriage to the young lady, and 1t had
been promptly accepted by cable. There
was so much of humor in the method OF
counting that it interested me, and wrote
him 81 letter of congratulation
In acknowledging it he asked me to serve
him as best man. | was quite willing to see
the farce played out, and accepted. Early
in last October he wrote me from Louis
vile at theAstor Ho;:se. urging me not to
disappoint him. | received two kilograms
in the few days Immediately preceding the
wedding, still further insisting upon my at
tendance refer to the correspondence for
an explanation of my case Two weeks
after the marriage wrote:
AsroR House. Nov. z. 1887.
DEAR SIR: have been expecting to hear from
you for the past fortnight upon the subject or
this note Though am ordinarily quite at the
disposal of my friends, you could hardly have
expected me TO incur the expense of a trip to
Kentucky solely to serve you II was exceed
ingiy announcement for me to leave New York at
the time but your final summons left me no
alternative. AS went at great personal sacrl-
flee | see no reason why the custom which has
always prevailed among gentlemen should be
violated in this case. | have, therefore, drawn
upon you for $3.50, the amount of my actual ex-
penses. l take 1t for granted that you have
in Ha tCh nf
lations and joys.
1.-THE letter and the draft were carried to
Mr.. Ovington by friend. | was amazed
to receive the following reply:
Nov. 9, 1887.
DEAR Mr. SMITH: regret to be obliged to re-
turn the inclosed check to you. You will re-
member that you wrote offering your services
for the wedding to me- A few days prior to the
wedding l telegraphed simply inquring If |
should expect you l afterward learned that
Mrs. +. sent a message with my signature.
regret that you did not reply to me inquiring if
you should come at your inconvenience. / in
close my check for 500, and remain respect
fully, E. j. OvINGToN.
ITO this / replied as follows:
Nov 10, 1887.
DEAR SIR: hardly expected such an answer
as you sent to my note of yesterday by sending
me check for a smaller amount than wrote
you my actual expenses had been. You either
impeach the accuracy of my statement or show
yourself willing to discount obligations that are
usually held sacred among gentlemen. | must
be permitted to deny the charge that rendered
my services, if at a l. for other than general
courteses, and refer you to my letter of con-
graduation for proof. As your name was signed
to the kilograms received, had no means of
knowing that they were sent by another than
yourself. Am to infer that you repudiate the
action of that friend and expect me to look to
her TO make me wholeg / acknowledge the re-
ceipt of 500 in return for $3.50 expended upon
you, and shall look for check for the balance
by return mail.
I'm reply l received an impertinent re-
quest that should consider the cards to the
wedding of Mr.. Ovington's daughter re-
called. | dismissed the whole matter from
my mind, when five days later received
the following uncalled for letter:
BROOKLYN, Nov. IA, 1887.
DEAR SIR-In further reply to your favor of
the 10th inst, do not propose to assist you any
further. have stated your case and claims to
about fifty gentlemen. and not one of them but
what declared your demand unheard of and alb
surd among gentlemen. You demanded not
only your actual railroad and hotel expenses,
but enough to buy suit of clothes. Not wish
ing to have any reminder of you about me,
have returned to Mrs. F. the present you sent to
L. J. OvINGroN
'This was too much and replied as fol
lows:
AsToR HOUSE. New YORK, Nov II.
SIR thought | had done with you, but il
seems much easier to be on with a BLACKBOARD
than to get rid of them The gentlemen
whom you say you consulted, if they are TO be
judged by the answer you put into their mouths
clearly belong TO your own school, as il is i'm.
possible to imagine men, bred elsewhere than in
china shops with such crude notions of decency
But after all, you are the person best fitted to
adjudge the value of your new experience, and
If it appears to you to be something that
strangers should be taxed to pay for, suppose
it must be So A man who could as you by
your own confession did, repudiate the claims OF
a lady, who interceded and negotiated for him
in the most delicate affair of life | should have
known, would not hesitate to lay tribute upon
me- With the suggestion that the armorial
crest you use is not your own, you adopt the
/ remand you to the shop-keepine
limbo from which l lifted you. With due
respect, NICHOLAS SMITH.
1.-THE statement that wished TO borrow
So, 600 from him, or any sum, is false.
did ask him to indorse my note for 81 200,
at four months, which he refused to do.
thought it reasonable request under the
circumstances
1.-THE above correspondence rectes the
whole story of my relations with Mr..
Ovington, and gentlemen may judge for
themselves of the propriety of my conduct y
DECEMBER AT SEA.
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